


subtle variations of blue

by infizero



Category: Sonic the Hedgehog (Video Games), Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Gen, Hallucinations, Illusions, Mental Illness, Mental Instability, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Psychosis, Rewrite, Sad, Solipsism, Sonic Forces, Sort Of, Trauma, basically - thinking that nothing is real
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-02
Updated: 2020-04-02
Packaged: 2021-02-28 17:00:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 529
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23440564
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/infizero/pseuds/infizero
Summary: Sonic has been rescued from his cell on the Death Egg, but after months of suffering Infinite's illusions, he cannot bring himself to believe that everything he sees is real - or that he is truly free.
Relationships: Amy Rose & Sonic the Hedgehog
Comments: 4
Kudos: 52





	subtle variations of blue

**Author's Note:**

> Please check the tags before reading, as content in this story could be potentially triggering for some. Stay safe.
> 
> Title is from "Rainbow Veins" by Owl City.

"Sonic!"

The blue hedgehog blinked, his head fuzzy like he had hit it on a rock. He slowly sat up in the bed he was in to see Tails, Amy and Knuckles all huddled around him, worried expressions on their faces quickly shifting to relieved ones.

"Oh thank goodness you're okay!" Amy exclaimed with tears in her eyes. She drew close, her arms outstretched to embrace him. The second her hands touched him though, something in him tightened and he yelped, shoving her back.

Amy stared at him in disbelief. He heaved deep breathes, trying to make the feeling of Zavok's grip on his arm go away. It wasn't her fault.

"Sonic?" Tails whispered questioningly. "Are you alright?"

Sonic let out a choked, strained laugh, tears threatening to surface as he broke down. "This is new."

"What do you mean? Sonic, are you alright?" Amy asked, concerned.

"Very clever Infinite. Actually making it home, that's a new one." Sonic chuckled, but the sound was hollow and dead. A tear dripped onto the sheets of the bed.

"What is he talking about?" Knuckles said, frowning.

"Sonic, you're at the Resistance base. We've rescued you from the Death Egg." Amy said, her face dropping. "Do you not remember?"

"Yeah, yeah I remember. Happened a few hundred times. It was nice the first time." Sonic responded blankly. "Can we cut to the chase already? Just wake me up back in the cell."

"Sonic, you're out of the cell." Tails said desperately.

"What's happened to him?" Knuckles asked frantically.

"I… I don't know." Amy said, tears leaking out. "I don't know."

* * *

The others left. They couldn't bear to see their friend in such a state. But Amy wasn't the one to give up, especially when it came to her dear Sonic.

Said hero had stopped laughing. After a few moments of babbling he had curled up into a ball, legs hiding his face as he sobbed. Amy approached him slowly, unsure of what to say.

"Sonic. I don't know what Infinite and Eggman did to you, but please trust me when I tell you that you're okay now. It's over. You're safe. I promise."

"I don't even know if you're real or not." Sonic responded miserably. "I don't know if anything's real."

"Breathe Sonic, it's okay. You're back on Mobius, you're with your friends. Everything is okay." Amy reassured, not wanting to touch him for fear of him lashing out again. "Please believe me."

A tear slipped down his cheek. "I-I want to… I just don't trust anything anymore. Infinite made me live through illusions everyday. They seemed so real… How do I know this isn't all just another one of his tricks?"

Amy's mouth quivered. "I don't know. I don't know how I can convince you. But I promise you, we'll get you help. Someone will help you through this, Sonic. We'll help you all we can."

Sonic's eyes shone, but then he turned away and shut them tight. He didn't say anything, but Amy could tell that he didn't believe her. She stood up and left the room, trying not to let her face betray her sorrow. What had Eggman done?

**Author's Note:**

> Hoo boy.
> 
> This was. Upsetting to write, to say the least. I can't help but feel that Sonic would have had something along the lines of solipsism after being captured in Forces. After all, if you had been forced to witness countless illusions, wouldn't you start to question what was real and what was fake? Even after being rescued, he still can't bring himself to believe that he isn't going to suddenly wake up in his cell again, like Infinite made him do over and over.
> 
> There's a possibility that this could just remain a one-shot, but I do want to write more of this (especially since I want Sonic to get better and be happy again, lol) so it will most likely have at least another few chapters. At some point.
> 
> Also: I have not personally dealt with any of the illnesses depicted in this story. If anything I wrote is inaccurate/offensive, please tell me! I would much rather be informed of my mistakes than ignored.
> 
> Kudos and especially comments are appreciated! Please let me know what you think.


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